Groups criticize N.B. women's rights council cuts
A national women's organization says it's a mistake for the New Brunswick government to eliminate an arm's length agency dedicated to women's rights.
In Tuesday's provincial budget, Premier David Alward's government announced the elimination of funding for the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women, calling the decision a tough but necessary choice for the Progressive Conservatives.
"We're going to fight," Gail Taylor, a spokeswoman for the N.B. Coalition for Pay Equity, said after the last public meeting of the council on Thursday.
"I don't think any of us are prepared to take this lying down. We're going to fight. We're asking the premier to reverse that decision."
There was also opposition from the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women, which represents nine councils across Canada.
"We just see this as a significant step backwards and we feel the [one] who [is] really going to be disadvantaged because of it is the government of New Brunswick. It's such a mistake on their part."
New Brunswick's minister for the status of women defended the decision on Thursday and said the alternative was cutting funding for 14 outreach workers who counsel victims of abuse.
"It literally did come down to looking at where we can find some money," Margaret-Ann Blaney told CBC News.
The organization's annual budget is approximately $400,000. Two full-time positions within the group will be absorbed into the provincial government's women's issues branch.
"There's a trust that's developed over time and that trusting relationship is not going to happen within a government department because government departments are there to implement policy of the government," said Jody Dallaire, the executive director of the New Brunswick Child Care Coalition.
"They're not there to lead the charge."
Rosella Melanson, the current executive director of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, said while she has accepted one of the two provincial jobs at the women's issues branch, it will not be the same as working for the council.
"We've worked hard as long as it lasted and if this is the end, then at least we've done this much for women's issues," she said.